Musical Chairs: Seyfarth Shaw Adds Attorneys
Last week we brought you the rumor that Seyfarth Shaw and Squire Sanders were thinking of merging into “The Super S4 League of Justice.” Seyfarth has declined to comment on the rumor, but they have added a whole slew of attorneys in Los Angeles. Ken Youmans, managing partner of Seyfarth L.A., announced the new hires:
We are pleased to announce that our partnership voted today in favor of welcoming a group of attorneys to join our LA office. The group includes three equity partners, three income partners, four associates and two secretaries. While the group needs to act upon the partnership offer and the associates need to be offered an opportunity to work with us, the group is expected to start October 1, or soon thereafter. With the addition of these attorneys, we continue to strengthen our Corporate and Real Estate presence on the West Coast. We will share more specific information about our newest Firm members in the days and weeks ahead.
But where did these equity partners come from? Unfortunately all we have for you is more rumors, but tipsters tell us that Seyfarth’s new hires are Sonnenschein’s defectors.
As we know, it’s not a great time to be losing equity partners in California.
Seyfarth offered the following about the various rumors surrounding the firm:
In the course of running our business, we regularly explore a variety of strategic options for the firm. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on these matters.
There is a whole lot of whispering concerning Seyfarth. If you’d like to add your rumor to the mill, please feel free.
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Comments
Firssstttyyy DPOG
Seems strange to announce new lawyers before they actually have accepted the offers.
I am pleased to announce that I will be joining Cravath on or about October 1. The only remaining step is that the firm needs to act on my acceptance by extending me an offer.
Fourth!
I suppose this is an interesting development for Seyfarth's LA office, but how does this relate to getting a summer associate position at WILDMAN HARROLD's LA office?
What a strange announcement. What's the reasoning behind making the announcement before the deal has been signed?
Hell of a time to be adding real estate personnel, especially in California. Billings/collections in real estate are way down from what they were even last year (forget 2005-06), particularly if you do a lot of developer work. And obtaining credit is getting harder by the day, not easier. Funny time to be picking up people in this area en masse like this (unless things are so bad at Sonnenschein that the EPs just took the first reasonable offer they got). Maybe they have workout expertise though.
Any Seyfarthians out there like to comment on the Squire merger?
Isn't Seyfarth a step down from Sonnenchein?
Elie still sucks, but at least his recent posts have been relevant.
9 - It appears Seyfarth is making moves to climb the charts.
I propose the name Squifarth for this formidable new mega-firm.
Yes, Seyfarth is a big step down from Sonnenschein. However, Sonnenschein has been struggling, and I have heard that Seyfarth wants to establish a downtown presence. Seyfarth's L.A. office up until now has been in CC. Bet you the new people get thrown into some rental space and get renamed. The pay and prestige will still suck majorly.
13 - I take it you are the prestige-ranking guru. If I may ask, how did you reach that conclusion when comparing Seyfarth to Sonnenschein?
Squifarth - I like that. Is this merger even going to happen?
What is this Wildman Harrold??
Why does everyone keep talking about Wildman Harrold? Why does anyone think that any leaving of Sonnenschein is a step down with the shape that firm is in right now?
As far as the merger talks go, from what I've heard, they are extremely preliminary and nothing will probably happen for a long time.
SQUISH
Individuals who obsess over prestige do so because they know they will never be able to build their own book of business wherever they end up. It's important that they be forced out from the "most prestigious" firm possible.
S^4
14- Yes I am the prestige guru.
How many letters does Sonnenschein have in the name of its first named partner? 12. Seyfarth? 8. How many named partners are in Sonnenschein's name? 3 (Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal). How many in Seyfarth's name? 2 (Seyfarth Shaw). Take the Sonnenschein total, divide it by how many times you take it in the face from a wrinkly old partner's nut sack (3) and you have 5. Applying the same formula to Seyfath, you get 3.33. Total score, Sonnenschein 5, Seyfarth 3.33. Sonnenschein is more prestigious. And you have a face full of Old Man River bean bag.
I really like Squire Shaw or Shaw Sanders....though i secretly wouldn't mind the S4 League of Justice so long as we get firm-issued capes. If I dont get a cape I am leaving.
The word from the higher ups is that the merger (if it happens) will be approved in Jan/Feb.
Aside from Sonnenschein being slightly more confusing to pronounce than Seyfarth (SAYfarth, SIGHfarth, SEEfarth??), this firms around about equal in terms of rankings, revenue, PPP, etc. As for "prestige" I think it depends on the area of law -- with Seyfarth being a top 2-3 L&E firm.
I'm not sure why people are so excited about the prospect of a merger.
There's really no upside and there are many negatives. Required billables will likely increase, 1600 attorneys almost guarantees a soviet-style bureaucracy, and becoming a partner will likely become more difficult.
Some people don't care about prestige have no desire to work at a New York-esque firm.
21 sounds like someone with alot of time to spare. A Heller associate possibly? Nah. My guess is you're that one dickwipe that's in every 1L class. You know, the one with no life, the one with a blank check from mom and pap and who always has a habit of wearing purple-colored shirts.
It's SIGH-farth.
SeySqui would be a good name if Squifarth doesnt work out.
No. 14, maybe No. 13 can spell VAULT.
22: nice!
25- you are pretty gosh darned hostile there. Are you sure your aren't an ex-Heller Associate? You sound pretty pissed off for someone reading the comment section of a legal blog. Interestingly, for deriding someone who has too much time, you managed to find time in your schedule to type a response. Lay off the Diet Coke and snickers bars.
21=25
did you mean 21=29?
Does anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have any of these corporate partners given notice or what?
Does anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have any of these corporate partners given notice or what?
Does anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have any of these corporate partners given notice or what?
Does anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have any of these corporate partners given notice or what?
Does anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have any of these corporate partners given notice or what?
Anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have these partners given notice yet or what? Are they frantically calling their clients telling them that they are jumping ship?
Anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have these partners given notice yet or what? Are they frantically calling their clients telling them that they are jumping ship?
Anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have these partners given notice yet or what? Are they frantically calling their clients telling them that they are jumping ship?
Anyone from Sonnenschein have a comment? Have these partners given notice yet or what? Are they frantically calling their clients telling them that they are jumping ship?
32-40: Are you a fucking retard?
32-40 is retard strong
41 = hilarious!
32-40,
LMFAO. I have never seen someone stutter in writing.
Seyfarth is bleeding for money. The L&E people should never have ventured outside of their expertise. Just a few months ago one of their partners became a convicted felon, and another partner and the firm are being investigated for the sale of tax shelters to the public. Who would want to take that on??
# 45 is correct re Seyfarth. See
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0602/126.html
and
http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/txdv08060.htm
Graham Taylor was a partner at Seyfarth until a few months ago.
ATL should be covering these things.
32-40 is full retard